When your cat shuns the litter box
One of the most frequent questions cat owners ask is what to do when a pet suddenly loses interest in using the litter box. No matter how much someone loves their pet, it is hard having an animal in the house that eliminates inappropriately.
Here are 10 things to try when you don’t know what else to do:
1. Have your cat checked by a veterinarian. While urinary tract infections, kidney issues and diabetes are more obvious physical problems that can cause poor litterbox habits, just about any ailment that causes a cat to feel uncomfortable could be causing the problem.
In older cats, arthritis can make a cat unwilling to jump even the smallest lip to get into a box. Treat the cat as per your vet’s instructions — ask about pain relief if you sense your cat may be having issues but no obvious cause is found.
2. Try a different litter. If you’ve recently changed, go back to your old brand and see if that makes a difference. There are a variety of litter types on the market today, and it could be something as simple as a different smell that’s confusing or concerning your cat. You may also wish to experiment with adding or removing a hood over the box or liners under the litter.
3. Clean more frequently. You may think you’re keeping the box just as clean as always, but your cat may not agree. Perhaps you’ve been gone more often, you’re working later hours or you’re just not on top of cleaning the box.
4. Add another box. For some reason, your cat may need more places to go. Put a box on the spot that the cat has started inappropriately going. Even if it’s in an inconvenient place, you can start with the box in that place and gradually move it out of the way. Think of it this way: You’re going to have to clean that area anyway; it may as well be scoopable!
5. Move the box. For some reason, sometimes cats begin to associate the litterbox with something unpleasant or painful. If you’ve cleared up a medical problem and the cat is still refusing to use the box, put it in a different location, change litter and/or begin training with positive reinforcement.
6. Thoroughly clean areas that have been soiled. Use an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature’s Miracle to completely remove all traces of urine or feces, and follow with white vinegar. If the cat doesn’t associate the smell of an area with elimination, it may stop seeking to use that place. Finally, use an air freshener or cleaner with a citrus scent, which most cats dislike, in the newly cleaned area.
7. Think about changes to the household. If someone new has recently moved in or a family member has moved out, it could be upsetting your cat. Even things as simple as moving furniture around or using a new cleaner on the floor can make some ultra-sensitive cats stress out.
You’ll need to work with your cat to re-train and reinforce use of the litterbox — of course, it will help if whatever you’ve recently changed can be restored. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible.
8. Keep an eye out for other critters. Especially if your cat is eliminating near a door or window, the culprit could be a stray cat or other animal. It may not be logical, but some cats will mark just in case the newcomer gets closer, in an attempt to claim territory.
Keep the window closed, lower the blinds or confine your cat to an interior space and see if it makes a difference.
9. Make inapproprate elimination areas undesirable. Depending on how large the area is, you can put down something with a sticky or tacky surface. Clear carpet protectors that have the plastic spikes can be placed upside down (spiky side up) to keep the cat off. Some people even resort to motion detectors that make a noise or turn on a light when activated — these can be found at home improvement and hardware stores.
10. Experiment with alternative treatments. Bach’s Rescue Remedy in the water or applied to the inside of your cat’s ear may help reduce stress levels. Feliway is a spray that mimics the facial phermones of a cat and can dramatically reduce inapproprate urination and stress- related behaviors. Some owners have even used animal communicators to “talk” to their cat and find the source of the problem.
If all else fails, please consider making your pet a cozy area outdoors rather than giving it up. It can be very difficult to find a home for an adult cat; one that eliminates outside the litterbox is almost impossible to rehome. This can obviously be traumatic for the cat, so please be honest with yourself and resort to making the cat an outdoor animal only if you’ve checked and rechecked all the possible causes.
